2022 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 13-18
13. Charlotte Hornets – C Mark Williams – Duke
Perhaps the first reach of the draft, the Charlotte Hornets have a massive hole to fill in the middle of their defense, and Mark Williams might be the perfect prospect to do it. Williams showed throughout March Madness that he can be a truly elite rim protector and defensive anchor against top teams at the collegiate level.
In Charlotte, he would take over for Mason Plumlee as the Hornets’ starting center and give LaMelo Ball and company an enforcer in the backline and another lob threat on offense.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers – G/F Ochai Agbaji – Kansas
The Cleveland Cavaliers desperately needed another wing after Collin Sexton was ruled out for the rest of the 2021-22 NBA season with an injury. They tried to fill that void by trading for Caris LeVert, who turned out to be an awkward fit with the young Cavs. Here, they take Ochai Agbaji, a senior who projects to be a 3-and-D plus in the league.
Agbaji would be perfect as a shooter spotting up alongside Darius Garland and can exercise his secondary playmaking skills when Garland wants to play off-ball or needs a breather. Cleveland presented themselves as a competitive team sooner than expected, so Agbaji’s maturity and mental fortitude will be bonuses for their playoff chase next year.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via NYK) – F Ousmane Dieng – NZ Breakers
After taking a slight reach for a need with their first selection, the Charlotte Hornets have the opportunity to make a high-upside pick with their second first-rounder. Ousmane Dieng is a French prospect that spent the last year hooping professionally in New Zealand.
He’s a raw prospect but flashed silky smooth guard skills inside a lanky frame at 6’10. Dieng may need a year or two to come into his own, but the Hornets can wait for him to cash in on all of that potential.
16. Atlanta Hawks – F Tari Eason – LSU
The Atlanta Hawks might be in a position to take the steal of the draft at 16th with Tari Eason. He also happens to fill a variety of needs for Atlanta. Eason is a rangy, athletic forward who should be a high-level two-way role player in the NBA. He also flashed budding perimeter skills including deep shooting, shot creation, and playmaking.
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The Hawks need a frontcourt creator to balance the floor and take pressure off of Trae Young. Eason is the perfect target to do just that in the second half of the first round.
17. Houston Rockets (via BKN) – G/F Blake Wesley – Notre Dame
The Houston Rockets continue their trend of taking the best talent available with Blake Wesley. Wesley has some overlapping skills with both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Green but has the size and athleticism to play the three spot in today’s perimeter-oriented game.
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Wesley has the offensive tools to be an elite option one day but needs to display growth in his consistency and outside shooting to be a reliable scorer. An offense featuring Ivey, Green, and Wesley would be an explosive show.
18. Chicago Bulls – C Walker Kessler – Auburn
If there’s one thing that Chicago Bulls learned throughout this season and so far in their first-round dog fight with the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s that they need more size and defensive depth. Walker Kessler is a true giant, even in NBA terms, and should form a nice offense-defense center rotation with Nikola Vucevic.
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Kessler won’t offer much on offense or perimeter defense, but the Bulls have plenty of options for those departments already. Kessler should be able to make an impact right away as a backup defensive anchor.
